


Marijois University - Year One

by thesecondgarde



Series: Marijois University [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drama, Friendship, Gen, Love, Nakamaship, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:47:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25204186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesecondgarde/pseuds/thesecondgarde
Summary: Join the straw hats as they navigate their way through their first year of college at Marijois University. Just typical college stuff, friendship, romance, finals week and a mysterious title of "King of the Pirates" that no one has earned in decades.Current Chapter - Chapter 4 : The 'Real World'
Relationships: Law/Oc, Nami/Vinsmoke Sanji, Nefertari Vivi/Portgas D. Ace, Zoro/OC
Series: Marijois University [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1825915
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1 : Moving In

**Chapter 1 : Moving In**

* * *

Monkey D. Luffy could barely contain his excitement as his grandfather's car pulled into the university parking lot.

"Eyy Grandpa let me out already!", the eighteen-year-old called from the back seat as his eyes scanned the buildings in front of him, before lingering hungrily on a nearby kebab vendor's cart. His stomach growled as he recalled the 4 hours they had spent travelling. Monkey D. Garp was a determined man when he wanted to get somewhere and there hadn't been time to stop for a meal.

Lost in his daydreams of food, Luffy didn't notice Garp opening his door until he was on the ground. He didn't even have time to pick himself up before two packing boxes tumbled out of the stuffed car and fell straight on his head.

"Aah, what was that for?", he asked, rubbing the already forming lump on his skull and looking up to find his grandfather frowning. However, he did note the trace of amusement in the older man's eyes.

"Have you learnt nothing? Stay vigilant! How are you supposed to become a Marine if you're not even aware of your surroundings?", he asked as Luffy stood up and brushed some dirt off his denim shorts.

"Shishishi, I have four more years before I have to worry about that. Say, are you hungry?", he asked, his eyes finding the kebab cart once more.

Garp sighed. This boy was hopeless when he was hungry.

"Alright. Let's get you something to eat", the man said, throwing the boxes back into the car and grabbing a small yellow item from the back seat.

"Oh wait, I almost forgot", Luffy said, turning around as the car door shut. Garp grinned and threw the item- an old, worn straw hat- to him.

"Thanks", he said with a smile, placing the hat on his head, "Now I'm ready".

* * *

"Absolutely not", the girl said, staring defiantly at the red-haired man behind the desk.

"Come on, Aika, isn't this what family is for? To embarrass you on move-in day?", he asked with a hint of a smile. She glared back at him.

"Uncle Shanks, thanks, but no thanks", she replied firmly, scooping up her things and turning to the door.

"I'll figure this out myself", she said, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. "I don't want special treatment here, you know".

"Okay", he sighed. His niece hadn't changed at all in the three years since he had last seen her. Fiercely independent and bordering on overconfident, just like his sister.

She turned as she heard the defeat in his voice, suddenly feeling guilty. She hadn't meant to be harsh. She knew he was just looking out for her, and was probably just as excited that her dreams of college were coming true as she was.

"You know what, how about I meet you and Mihawk Sensei for dinner?", she asked, and his eyes brightened.

"Yes, okay! Celebration time!", he announced with a grin.

She immediately found herself regretting her suggestion. Her uncle was embarrassing enough when he was sober. There was no limit on the damage her reputation could face when he had a couple of beers in him.

"No booze, I don't drink", she said, eliminating one of the problem variables. His shoulders slumped for a second before he grinned again.

"You don't drink yet", he corrected. "This is college. It'll happen", he said sagely and she rolled her eyes.

"Sure", she replied, though she wholly disagreed. She wasn't like the other students here. She was, after all, a genius, and on top of that, most definitely had her priorities in order. She was here to learn. To master what she needed to. Not to waste time on things like parties and alcohol.

"Baratie, 7 p.m.", she said, turning the door handle, "And Mom says you need to call her and confirm that I made it here alive".

"Will do", he promised, reaching for his phone, presumably to call his sister as she stepped out of the room.

She read the plaque on his office door as she shut it, the ornate black letters spelling out "Dean of Students" on a brass plate.

"No amount of responsibility can change him", she thought to herself, taking a minute to reminisce before continuing on her way.

She navigated her way down the stairs to the exit with practised ease. She had been here many times over the years, but the atmosphere of Marijois University never failed to impress her. She doubted that it ever would.

She found herself lost in her plans for the future as she stepped out of the building. Briefly blinded by the sunlight, she didn't notice where she was going and collided jarringly with a passerby.

"Watch where you're going, would you?", she exclaimed, suddenly irritated as she stumbled momentarily. Finding her balance, she took in the tall, green haired boy in front of her.

* * *

Roronoa Zoro was undeniably lost. He was convinced that he had followed the irritatingly cheerful volunteer's directions perfectly, but somehow found himself wandering around in circles in what was clearly not the welcome area.

The 19 year old stopped and scowled at the paper in front of him as he tried to re-orient himself. His eyes were struggling to make sense of the printed blocks and lines when he suddenly felt someone crash into him.

He quickly collected himself and looked up to see a very irritated girl with bright green eyes.

"Watch where you're going, would you?", she said coldly, giving him a once-over. Her eyes flashed past the suitcase by his side and the swords slung over his shoulder.

"You're on the wrong side of campus. Orientation is the other way", she said before he had a chance to retort.

"I know –", he began to say, masking his embarrassment with a growl, his eyes narrowing angrily.

"Sure you do", she replied, unfazed, "That's why your map is upside down, isn't it?". She raised her eyebrows at him before smirking and walking away.

Zoro glared after her as he turned his map right side up, his annoyance at her behaviour only compounding as he found that she was right.

He scowled at her retreating figure and decided that whoever she was, he didn't like her.

Her amused smirk flashed in his mind as he studied the map once more, realising he had a ten-minute walk ahead of him.

"Great. Just great", he thought to himself as he checked the time. There were only fifteen minutes till orientation ended and he couldn't afford to get lost again.

He shook his head to clear it of the memory of her smug expression, before grabbing his suitcase and starting to run.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2 : King of the Pirates

**Chapter 2 : King of the Pirates**

* * *

Luffy was eating- or rather, inhaling- his third serving of kebab when someone suddenly pulled him into a headlock from behind, knocking his hat off.

"Ahh! Get off me!", he cried, attempting to free himself as a set of knuckles began to rub his head playfully.

"Still not strong enough to push me off, eh Luffy?", a familiar voice asked. Luffy stopped struggling at once, and instead tried to look back at his captor's face.

"Ace!", he shouted, leaping up from his seat as the arms around his neck withdrew. He turned around to find his older brother grinning down at him.

"Nice to see you too", he said, as he grabbed the hat from the ground and placed it back on Luffy's head.

"Where's – ", Luffy began to ask, when he was suddenly pulled into a headlock by yet another pair of arms.

"Sabo, let me go!", he shouted, clawing at the arms restraining him as Ace laughed.

"Good to know you haven't forgotten me", Sabo said, releasing Luffy suddenly. The younger boy stumbled a few steps forward before regaining his balance.

"Hey Gramps, how was the drive down?", Ace asked Garp, as Sabo came to stand by his side. The pair of them made for a rather imposing and impressive sight.

Ace was tall and muscular, in sharp contrast to Sabo, whose lean figure and blonde hair made him stand out from the two dark haired boys he called his brothers.

"Ahh let's not discuss it", Garp replied with a pointed look at Luffy, and the boy grinned back sheepishly. "How are you boys doing? All ready for the new semester?".

"We're good, and yeah, just about finished getting our things. We thought we'd come by and help Luffy settle in before heading off to meet some friends", Sabo replied, as Ace checked his phone.

"Sabo, it's already 3:00", he said looking up from the screen. The blonde gave a grunt of acknowledgement before addressing Garp and Luffy once more.

"We've got to get a move on. Ready to head to the dorms, Luffy?", he asked.

Luffy nodded, finishing the last of his kebab and adjusting his hat.

"Grandpa, you coming?", he asked, turning to Garp .The older man shook his head.

"I have a long drive back to the base and I need to get there in time for dinner. I'll leave him to you two", he said, looking at Sabo and Ace, the latter of whom had slung his arm around his younger brother's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Gramps. We've got this", he said before lightly steering Luffy towards the car, "let's go get your stuff".

Between the three of them, the boys managed to unload all of Luffy's belongings into a nearby moving cart in less than ten minutes, and after a quick round of goodbyes, they stood to watch as Garp's car disappeared down the road.

"Come on then", Sabo said, as he and Ace grabbed hold of the cart and began pushing it down the path towards the dorms. Luffy walked ahead of them, taking in his surroundings.

The five-minute walk to the dorms passed with little conversation, aside from the older boys calling out directions to their little brother. Luffy walked wide-eyed, careful to stay clear of the front wheels of the cart as he mentally took note of all the eateries they passed on the way. He paid little attention to the students who came by to greet his brothers, though he did note that they seemed to be quite popular.

"And we're here, welcome to your new home", Ace said as the trio turned the corner. They found themselves facing a large blue building with a shining bronze statue at its entrance. The name plate above the door read "East Blue Dorms".

"We have four main dorms on campus- East, West, North and South Blue. They're all equidistant from the central administrative buildings and classrooms", Sabo told Luffy.

"Gol D. Roger", Luffy murmured, reading the inscription on the base of the statue as they neared it.

"King of the Pirates, 1978. What's the king of the pirates?", he asked, stopping to stare up at the sharp features of the statue's face.

"It's a title given out to students for exemplary achievement during their time here at Marijois", Ace replied, "But no one's exactly sure why and when they decide to award it. This Roger guy was the last person who was crowned Pirate King. He lived here, in East Blue Dorms when he was a student".

"That's so cool!", Luffy said, suddenly excited, "I'm going to be king of the pirates someday", he proclaimed, and the two older boys laughed.

"Well, good luck to you then", Sabo said, shaking his head.

"Leave it to Luffy to find the most ridiculous, impossible dream for himself", he thought, as they pushed the cart past the statue and up the ramp into the building.

One quick elevator ride later, the boys found themselves standing at Luffy's dorm room door.

"So, the dorms are co-ed", Ace started to explain as they opened the door and started unloading the cart, "but girls and guys stay on different floors. While you have a room to yourself, you'll be sharing your bathroom with the person next door, so you might want to get to know them".

"Hmm ok", Luffy said, not really paying attention as he stared out the window at the back of Gol D. Roger's statue.

They spent the next hour unpacking and setting up his stuff, until only a box of clothes remained.

"So, what does the king of the pirates get to do?", he asked Sabo as they piled clothes messily into the closet.

"Honestly, I'm not too sure myself", he replied, "But I think you could ask some of the professors, they might know. It's not something Ace or I have ever really been interested in".

Luffy nodded, and Ace recognised the seriousness in his younger brother's eyes all too well.

"You're not kidding, are you?", he asked, surprised that he had actually been thinking of it all this while."You actually want to do this? You don't even know what it is!".

"Ehh, so?", Luffy replied, confused at his brother's sceptical expression. "I like the title, it sounds cool", he said simply with a shrug, as if that explained everything.

Ace and Sabo looked at each other in disbelief at Luffy's confidence. While they had never personally taken an interest in the idea of becoming Pirate King, they knew of others who had. Others, who had achieved much more than the skinny, straw-hat-wearing boy in front of them. Yet somehow, Luffy seemed convinced that he had what it took to beat out decades of students who had tried- and failed- to earn the title.

But then again, this was Luffy. They knew that once he put his mind to something, it was near impossible to get him to reconsider, however stupid the idea was.

"If anyone is determined, or rather, stubborn enough to do it, it's Luffy. Might as well go along with it", Ace thought to himself as he walked over to the mini fridge, pulled out three cans of semi-chilled root beer and handed them out.

"To Monkey D. Luffy, the future king of the pirates", he proclaimed with his drink raised, and Sabo followed suit, smiling in amusement.

"Shishishi", Luffy laughed, raising his own drink and taking a sip before suddenly frowning. His stomach growled loudly. All pirate king dreams momentarily forgotten; he scanned the room for something to eat.

"Ehh, do we have any snacks? I'm hungry again".

* * *


	3. Chapter 3: Introductions

**Chapter 3: Introductions**

* * *

"Well, that leaves the pull-up bar", Zoro thought to himself as he looked at the last cardboard box remaining in his room.

After barely making it in time for orientation, which he grudgingly had to credit the annoying girl for, he had made it his goal to get unpacked before dinner. Luckily for him, the dorms had been rather easy to find, just a five-minute walk from the venue.

He'd gotten weird looks as he moved in, choosing to take the stairs and manually haul all his boxes up to the third floor, but he didn't really care. He hadn't had the time to get in any training all day, and he'd take what he could get in the form of exercise.

Looking at the pieces of the apparatus laid out on the ground before him, Zoro realised that mounting it was a two-person job. Thankfully, he had remembered to rent a drill from the Resident Advisers' office, so that was taken care of. Now all he had to do was find another pair of hands.

Looking around blankly as he weighed his options, his eyes swept past the door to the shared bathroom and stopped. He had an idea.

"Might as well meet my roommate", he thought to himself, hoping the person in the adjoining room would be more helpful than the less-than-pleasant female who had bumped into him that afternoon.

He opened the bathroom door and walked in to find the door to the next room unlocked. He hesitated for a second before opening it, wondering if it was a good idea to barge in this way. As he reached for the handle, however, the door swung open to reveal a skinny boy wearing a weird straw hat on his head.

"Hi. I need to pee", he said, brushing past Zoro and walking towards the toilet. The green-haired boy was taken aback, but he nodded and walked back to his room, closing the door behind him.

"Okay, that was weird", he thought to himself, his eyes returning to the instruction booklet as he contemplated attempting to assemble the pull-up bar on his own.

Lifting up the wall mount, he began positioning it on the wall when he heard the sounds of running water, followed by a door opening.

"Want some help?", a voice asked from behind him. Zoro glanced over his shoulder to see 'Straw Hat Boy' looking at him curiously from the bathroom doorway.

"Thanks", he said, as the newcomer walked into the room and took over holding up the frame. He spent a minute checking to make sure it was level before making his way over to the drill lying on the table nearby.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm going to be king of the pirates", the straw-hatted boy proclaimed, as Zoro hooked up the drill to the wall socket.

"Zoro", he said, as he quickly tightened the screws holding up the mount, before the duo stepped back to admire their handiwork.

"Time to test it", Luffy said, grabbing the detachable bar from where it lay on the floor. Before Zoro could say anything, Luffy was hanging upside down, holding his straw hat in place with one hand as he waved cheerfully with the other.

"Shishishi, I think it's alright", he concluded, not even attempting a graceful dismount as he collapsed into a heap, bumping his head on the floor.

"Are you okay?", Zoro asked as Luffy sat up, rubbing his head with a sheepish grin on his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's going to take much more than that to hurt me. You don't talk much, do you?", he asked, leaning back against the wall and making himself at home.

"Not really", Zoro admitted as he sat down in his chair, "What's the king of the pirates?".

"I don't know yet. My brothers told me about it and it sounded cool", Luffy said casually, grabbing one of the weights lying on the floor and attempting a bicep curl.

"Weird kid", Zoro thought to himself as he watched Luffy struggle before switching out to a lighter dumbbell and trying again.

"What's your major?", he asked, and Luffy looked up.

"Haven't decided yet. I'll figure it out", he replied with a shrug, looking completely unconcerned.

"You're at college but don't know your major. You want to be this king of the pirates but don't know what it is. Is there anything you do know?", Zoro asked in disbelief.

Luffy put down the weight he was holding with a serious look on his face.

"I know I'll figure it out eventually", he replied, his eyes meeting Zoro's before he grinned. "It's more fun when things are a surprise, don't you think?".

"Hmm", he mused, taking a minute to gather his thoughts before he responded, "You have an abnormal amount of faith in yourself".

"Shishishi", the dark-haired boy laughed as he stood up, "Maybe I do. We'll see. Want to go get dinner?".

Zoro glanced at his phone to find that it was approaching 7 p.m. It had been hours since his last proper meal.

"Sure", he said, getting up and following Luffy out the door, amused at how weird, yet easy it was to be around his new roommate.

"Hell, we might even end up friends", Zoro mused, with a hint of a smile.

* * *

Nico Robin couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as she watched her fellow students bid farewell to their parents from the lawns overlooking the car park. While her heart wrenched as a crying mother hugged her daughter goodbye for the fourth time, her face betrayed none of what she was feeling inside.

She sighed, trying to shut down her feelings as she turned her attention back to the worn book in her lap. Her fingers toyed with the corner of the title page as she read the handwritten note under the author's name. The precise, slanting letters were very similar to her own hand, and she traced them with a practice eased.

The book was her safe space. The last surviving object that tied her back to her mother, who, she realised sadly, would have loved to have hugged her goodbye on her first day of college. "Or at least, that's what I think she would have liked", Robin thought to herself. Her mother had passed away when she was just four years old in a gas leak that had decimated their home. Robin had barely escaped herself, and nothing except the book in her arms had survived the explosion.

She took a deep breath and composed herself. Now was not the time to reminisce, especially in public, where her unavoidable tears would be on full display.

Pulling herself to her feet, she began making her way back to her dorm, already quite comfortable navigating her way around campus. She smiled as she passed the academic block, looking forward to the start of classes. She had been excited to come here ever since she discovered that Marijois had been her mother's Alma mater.

Reaching East Blue Dorms, she made her way past the throngs of students crowded around the elevators and to the stairs, and began to climb up to her room on the second floor. This route was peaceful, and she was grateful to get away from the rush of people moving in, though she did pass a green haired boy resolutely carrying two large boxes up the stairs as she climbed.

Walking into her room, her eyes fell on the two small suitcases that contained all her belongings. It didn't take long to unpack them; less than half an hour to make her bed and put away everything she owned. When she was done, she stood back and took in her new home for the coming four years. While everything was neat and orderly, she sadly noted that the room still seemed empty and unwelcoming.

"Maybe I'll get a painting", she said to herself, staring at the blank wall behind her bed and wishing she had something to make the place feel more like home. Placing her precious book on the nightstand next to a framed photograph of her mother, she sat down at her desk and opened her laptop.

She was absently scrolling through a list of horror films when someone knocked on her door, bringing her back to the present. Opening it, she found a slim, orange-haired girl with large brown eyes smiling back at her.

"Hi, I'm Nami. I live across the hall", the girl said, gesturing to the open door behind her.

"Robin", she introduced herself, extending a hand to the newcomer, who was looking excitedly over Robin's shoulder at the bare walls of her room.

"Do you need any help moving in? Or decorating?", she asked. "I'm offering a full room set-up service for just one hundred berries!", she announced, her eyes shining at the mention of money.

Robin smiled kindly before answering, "Thanks, but I'm good for now. I'm actually all unpacked".

"Oh, alright. Dammit. That's everyone on this floor, or at least, everyone who's here", she said, indicating the locked door of the neighbouring room. "Was hoping to make some extra cash before the start of the semester. I really think my college wardrobe lacks a nice jacket".

Robin frankly didn't know how to reply, but thankfully, the girl wasn't done.

"You want to come by and hang out? I noticed both our roommates haven't arrived yet, and I was just planning to make some green tea", she said with a smile.

While she preferred coffee over tea any day, Robin held her tongue. This girl seemed nice enough, and it wasn't like she was planning on doing anything alone in her room anyway.

"Sure, that would be great", she replied, pulling the door shut behind her and walking to the room across the hall.

* * *


	4. Chapter 4 : The 'Real World'

**Chapter 4 : The 'Real World'**

* * *

Tony Tony Chopper could sense the unease masked under his mentor's casual demeanour. Dr. Kureha had always been a very headstrong woman, intent on keeping her emotions buried well beneath the surface. Her worry at the thought of her adoptive son and protege going off to college, however, seemed a little too significant for her to disguise.

"You're just a phone call away if I need you, right?", he asked, more for her benefit than his own, and the sixty-something-year-old woman nodded. Chopper watched the cloud of emotion behind her eyes start to clear as her expression turned stern.

"Yes, but don't come running to me for everything. It's time for you to be independent", she reminded him. He smiled, relieved to see that she was back to her normal self.

"I know, I know", the 16-year-old replied, taking in the imposing sight of East Blue dorms with a mix of nervousness and excitement.

Having been home schooled since Dr. Kureha had taken him in 8 years ago, this was his first time experiencing the 'real world', as he often referred to it. He couldn't wait to meet new people, but was secretly more than a little worried that he'd have a hard time fitting in.

Chopper was possibly the youngest student currently attending Marijois, having been granted early admission on account of his prodigal aptitude for medical science. Even with his optimistic view of the world, however, he couldn't discount the possibility that his rather unique situation could be quite socially challenging.

"Alright kid, this is where I leave you", she said gruffly, giving him a half-hug and a rather hard pat on the back.

Appreciating the uncharacteristic show of affection, he watched her walk away, waving until she turned the corner and was out of sight. She hadn't bothered bringing the car to drop him off. Faculty accommodations were just a ten-minute walk from East Blue Dorms, and she had always been one to enjoy strolls.

"Here goes nothing", he thought to himself, turning around and walking up the drive. It wasn't his first time visiting the dorms; he had been on campus for a week already, helping the sprightly doctor settle in for her year as a visiting faculty. However, those trips had been before the arrival of other students, and the building was now overflowing with them.

His senses were assaulted by an overwhelming wave of smells and sounds the moment he crossed the threshold. The entrance hall was flooded with people carrying suitcases and boxes filled with their belongings. Chopper found himself tossed around by the rush of bodies flowing in and out of the building.

No one seemed to notice the short, bespectacled freshman, nervously clutching the straps of his backpack as he surveyed the common area. He regarded the deluge of people with apprehension as someone bumped into him from behind, their boxes grazing his arm.

"I need to get out of the crowd", he thought to himself, as he stepped out of the path of a tall teenager carrying what appeared to be an aquarium towards the elevators.

His eyes scanned the surroundings before settling on a slightly ajar door to his right. From his previous visits, he knew it led to the communal kitchen. Praying that it was less congested, he pushed through the crowd and slipped through the door.

Luckily, there was no one there apart from a tall blonde boy, who seemed to be intently examining the induction stove top. Chopper breathed an audible sigh of relief, and the other person turned around.

"Hey, didn't see you there. Need some help?", the boy asked. He shook his head, nervous at being spoken to.

"Oh, no. I was just leaving", he said awkwardly, brushing his brown hair off his forehead with one hand while reaching for the door with the other. He stepped back out into the entrance hall, deciding to just bite the bullet and brave the rush. His room was likely the best place to hide away from the crowd.

"I should have just said hello. I'm not going to make any friends if I'm this nervous", he chastised himself, recalling his reaction to what had been a very kind question from the boy in the kitchen. Noticing the long line for the elevators, he changed course and started towards the staircase.

Spotting an opening in the crowd, he rushed forward, almost making it to the foot of the stairs before being knocked off balance. He stumbled, feeling his elbow sink into someone's side before reaching for the nearby wall to steady himself.

"Oops, sorry! Are you alright?", Chopper asked, turning to apologise, and finding a very large, very angry teenager staring down at him. He wore a varsity jacket, with the name 'Wapol' embroidered under what appeared to be a rugby ball encased in a shield.

"What do you think you're doing, runt?", he asked rudely, shoving the smaller teen backwards.

"I'm sorry, I'm just trying to get to my room", he said, gesturing to the stairs. "It was just an accident", he added quickly, as the boy's eyes flashed with something that made Chopper's hair stand on end.

"I'll be the one to decide that", Wapol snarled, before turning to his friends. "Chess, Kuro, why don't we teach this kid to respect his seniors?".

The two boys nodded, stepping forward. One of them wore a jacket similar to Wapol's and was imposingly tall, towering over both his friends. Chopper gulped, blood thundering in his ears as he realised they weren't going to let him off easy.

"I swear it was just a mistake, I meant no disrespect. I promise!", he cried, backing away as they neared him. They laughed in response, the taller boy reaching out to grab the freshman's shoulder painfully, holding him in place. He stepped forward menacingly until he was close enough for Chopper to read the name 'Kuro' embroidered on his jacket, under what seemed to be a pair of boxing gloves.

The brown-haired boy felt tears spring to his eyes as a lump formed in his throat. He didn't want to fight, and knew he didn't stand a chance against three seniors. Why were they being so mean?

"Is there a problem here?", he heard someone ask, and Wapol and his friends turned angrily, looking around for the speaker.

Chopper traced the question to a straw-hatted boy, standing halfway up the staircase with his arms crossed. Accompanying him was a taller boy with green hair, a single eyebrow raised as he silently observed the scene playing out before him.

"This doesn't concern you, kid. Stay out of it", Wapol retorted, returning his glare to the bespectacled freshman before him. "Unless you want to stick around for what happens to stupid kids who can't behave-".

"He said he was sorry, I heard him. There's no reason for you to be bothering him anymore", the straw-hatted boy interrupted, shooting Chopper a look of reassurance. He swallowed, the lump in his throat disappearing as he felt a rush of gratitude for this random stranger who had come to his aid.

"You new kids really have no idea when to shut up, do you?", Wapol asked, turning his attention once more to the boy on the stairs, who grinned back defiantly. "Chess, get him".

On cue, the shorter of the two friends stepped back from Chopper and started towards the boy on the stairs. He had barely taken two steps forward when he stopped short, his eyes bulging in panic.

Chopper's mouth fell open as Chess' hands flew to his neck, clutching at the fabric of his collar.

The green-haired boy had apparently taken the opportunity to climb down the stairs unnoticed, and was now behind the older boy, holding him by the back of his shirt effortlessly with one hand. His expression was calm- almost bored- as he watched Chess struggle against his grip.

"Going somewhere?", he asked casually, releasing the other boy's shirt to grab his arm and lock it behind his back. The older boy whimpered pitifully, his eyes meeting Wapol's pleadingly for support.

"Well, come on then, unless you don't want to fight", the straw-hat boy challenged, his grin only widening as he watched the three seniors freeze and stare back at him.

Wapol looked like he wanted to say something, but was interrupted by another pained bleat from Chess.

"Chess, Kuro, let's go", he said finally, his shoulders slumping slightly as he realised he had lost the upper hand. Chopper felt the grip on his shoulder release as Kuro stepped back, his face a picture of disbelief. Recognising their surrender, the green-haired boy freed his captive, who stumbled forward, cradling his arm.

Wapol took a moment to glare menacingly at Chopper. He looked like he wanted to say something more, before his friends grabbed his arms and pulled him away.

"Jerks", the straw-hatted boy said as they left. He jumped down the last few stairs before extending a hand to Chopper, who blinked at it in surprise.

"Monkey D. Luffy. I'm going to be king of the pirates. And this is Zoro", he said introducing himself before gesturing towards the green-haired boy, who nodded back in acknowledgement. "What's your name?".

"I'm Chopper. Thanks for saving me", he said nervously, and the boy smiled as they shook hands.

"We were just going to go grab something to eat, want to join us?", he asked, slinging his arm around the younger boy, who grinned back happily before replying.

"I'd like that".

* * *


End file.
